And really, that's all that's needed to goose the legions of pre-teen Hannah-heads to flock to theaters, isn't it?

It doesn't matter if some increasingly paunchy movie critic says it's built upon a vapid mess of a script, or an insultingly contrived patchwork of pratfalls, overacting and predictabilities. If ever a film was critic-proof, it is "Hannah Montana," solely because of its title and its leading lady, played by Miley Cyrus.

In fact, I'm not really sure why I'm writing this. Those who aren't going to go see it already know they won't and have probably moved on to the "Observe and Report" review on the opposite page. Those who are going -- that is, all the 9-year-old girls out there -- don't care what anybody says about their idol's movie.

Miley Cyrus in 'Hannah Montana: The Movie.'

HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE 1 star, out of 4

Snapshot: A family-friendly musical comedy about the Disney Channel pop princess, who gets a dose of reality when Daddy takes her home to lil' ol' Crowley Corners, Tenn.

What works: The musical numbers are fun, and it's hard to be too harsh on anything so wholesome.

What doesn't: It would be nice if the loyalty of Hannah's fans were rewarded with a quality script rather than taken advantage of with a half-baked one.

It was nice to see that joy and enthusiasm on display in the audience at an advance screening Tuesday night at the Hollywood 9 in Kenner. (The screening drew so many that a second screen was set up to handle the overflow.) As the movie opened with an energetic, larger-than-life arena-concert performance of the "Hannah Montana" theme song -- "The Best of Both Worlds" -- the energy was palpable.

If only a little more energy would have been put into the movie, which is little more than a glossier, long-form version of the hit TV show, with an occasional Tennessee panorama thrown in.

In this episode, Miley's father -- played by her real-life dad, Billy Ray Cyrus -- becomes concerned as his pop-star daughter shows signs of impending divadom. His solution: Reroute her private jet to her birthplace, lil' ol' Crowley Corners, Tenn.

For the next two weeks, he tells her, she's prohibited from donning her rock-star disguise (a blond wig with all the concealing power of Clark Kent's horn rims). In the process, Daddy hopes, she'll rediscover her roots -- and who she really is. "Think of it as Hannah detox," he tells her.

Of course it works. And of course there's a blue-eyed cowboy kid to set Hannah's achy-breaky heart aflutter. And of course there's an evil developer to contend with, because a movie has to be two hours long. (Padding the running time is also presumably why Hannah, the biggest pop star in the world, doesn't just cut a check for the measly $500,000 needed to save her town from his dastardly plan.)

But all that's just filler between the musical numbers, which consistently provide the film's best moments. (Prediction: "Hoedown Throwdown," with its catchy beat and line dancing, will find fans. )

I realize this is "just" a kids' movie, and that parents should be thankful for any G-rated entertainment nowadays. But I reject the idea that wholesome has to be halfhearted. I also wish Disney would reward its fans with quality entertainment instead of taking advantage of it with nonsense like "Hannah Montana: The Movie."